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Art in the Country?

I love spending time in the country, at the lake. I love the sights and sounds of nature, the freshness of the air, the relaxed feel of the country. Since childhood I have enjoyed many vacations at a cottage or a resort in the great outdoors. But I do love the city too. I love the sights and sounds of the city, the action and vibe of the city. I would never call myself a ‘country girl’ therefore I must be a ‘city girl’. Is it harder to take the ‘country’ out of the girl or the ‘city’ out of the girl?!……. Here is my case in point. On the lake at our cottage we have a public beach which allows cottagers or residents of the nearby town to enjoy time at a big sandy beach. It is also where the annual summer regatta takes place. One day while strolling along this beach I noticed 2 dark brown, angular-shaped pieces of art. They were made of metal and sitting on concrete pads so they wouldn’t sink in the sand. I liked the way they looked. They reminded me of sculptures that are displayed in plazas out front of government or commercial buildings in the city. Think of the Henry Moore sculpture outside of Toronto City Hall or the Picasso sculpture outside of the Richard J. Daley Center in Chicago. I was so thrilled that our public beach now had 2 pieces of art too. How very contemporary and forward thinking we now were at my lake! But then my bubble burst when someone explained to me that what I thought was art actually where ‘bear-proof garbage bins’!! I really and truly believed these brown metal boxes were art installations. So….it must be that it is harder to take the ‘city’ out of the girl!

2 thoughts on “Art in the Country?”

My first thought was “functional art” – so, yes, I agree with your perception. It’s a way of seeing, isn’t it : worthwhile. Would be interesting if this was furthered by encouraging the ‘artistic aspect’ with a title or signage.